The Ontario Federation of Agriculture held its annual general meeting in Niagara, November 24 and 25th, 2014, where delegates from across the provinces voted in a new president and vice president. Former vice president, Don McCabe, got the all-clear to move up to the role of president, preventing Mark Wales from a fourth and final... Read More
Category: Ag Policy
The Ministries of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Environment and Climate Change announced today plans aimed at reducing by 80% the number of acres planted to corn and soybeans using neonicotinoid-treated seed by 2017, a level of reduction that equates to a de-facto ban, according to farm groups. The province says it will consult... Read More
In 2011, a new provincial cost-shared Risk Management Program (RMP) was created for the Ontario agriculture industry. Farmer leaders across commodity groups came together as the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Coalition (OASC), and worked with the provincial government to design a made-in-Ontario solution to help bring "predictability, stability and bankability to the farming sector." In the... Read More
Dairy Farmers of Canada has announced the appointment of Caroline Emond as the agency's new executive director. Emond is a lawyer and lobbyist with over 20 years of experience in political and trade files in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. She worked for DFC from 1998 to 2006 as Assistant Director, International Trade and as... Read More
Ontario is proposing amendments to the Crop Insurance Act, 1996, that, if passed, would mean more types of agricultural products would be eligible for coverage by production insurance. Production insurance, a part of Ontario's business risk management programs, is designed to help farmers manage losses due to events like weather, pests and disease. The costs... Read More
An internal disagreement that created concerns about a possible crack in the foundation of Canada's supply management system for chicken appears to have been resolved with the signing of a new national agreement on quota allocation. Alberta withdrew from the national quota allocation program at the end of 2013, arguing the formula for distributing new... Read More
Several incredibly important and effective crop fungicides, including those that suppress fusarium in cereals, could be banned from use in the European Union soon. While this is an immediate concern for European farmers who could lose access to certain insecticide and fungicide classes, the ramifications for Canada could translate to over a billion dollars in... Read More
Bill C-18 — the proposed legislation that includes changes to plant breeders' rights — continues to move through Parliament, despite the New Democrats saying they'll vote against it. During the Report Stage in the House of Commons on Monday, Opposition Agriculture Critic Malcolm Allen introduced 51 motions to delete all 51 clauses of the bill... Read More
Ontario and Quebec ag ministers met recently to discuss opportunities to create an action plan for growing domestic and export markets in cooperation, including focusing on the SIAL international food trade show held annually in Toronto and Montreal. According to a department press release, Jeff Leal, Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and... Read More
So who’s going to buy CWB (formerly "the Canadian Wheat Board")? And where’s the money for new elevators coming from? Will they become "just another grain company"? How will farmers benefit? These are all questions I’ve heard farmers asking each other during intermissions at hockey rinks, at coffee shops and on Twitter over the last... Read More